Load restraining device



United States Patent LOAD RESTRAINING DEVI CE" Wilbert G. Nichol, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application February 12, 1957, Serial No.'639,815

2 Claims. (Cl. 105-369) The present invention relates generally to the handling of heavy materials in transit and more particularly to the bracing of flat-band-secured package units of heavy material in railway cars or other vehicle carriers.

In shipping steel or other heavy material in coil or fiat sheet form the material is usually placed on wooden pallets or skids and secured thereon with flat lading strapping to form a package unit. The palletized or skidded package units are loaded into railway freight cars, gondolas or other carrier vehicles by means of lift fork tractors, crane hoists or the like. After the package unit is loaded in the carrier it may be rigidly braced by means of wood blocking or the like. If the material in the package unit is heavy, frequently no bracing is applied. The weight of the package is relied upon to create sufiicient friction between the pallet or rumiers and the floor of the carrier vehicle to restrain movement during transit. If the package unit is made up of material which may beieasily damaged, such as thin gauge tin plate, the package unit may be loaded in the carrier vehicle in a manner to create a controlled-movement load. The latter loading arrangement minimizes the possibility of damage to the material caused by package units forcibly contacting the ends of the carrier vehicle or each other during transportation. As is well known in the art, the term controlled-movement load designates a load arranged in a carrier vehicle in a manner wherein a limited amount of movement of the load is permitted as contrasted with either .a rigidly braced load or a free moving, unrestrained 'load. If the package units are rigidly braced .the impacts that are encountered during transportation movements such as the humping of freight cars, or flat switching movements involved in making up trains, often causes rigid bracing to loosen or break so that the load units become free of restraint and shift back and forth in the car thereby causing damage to the material from end wall contact or contact with other package units. Such shifting also frequently causes the package units to block the car doorway which seriously interferes with unloading operations.

To make up a controlled-movement load in a car it is usual practice to install one or more lengths of flat band strapping to the floor or sides of the carrier vehicle by means of strap movement restraining devices and then wrap the strapping around the package unit. Prior to my invention, various devices were used to apply the flat band strapping to the carrier vehicle floor or sides. While each was intended to permit limited sliding movement of the strapping, they frequently caused the lengths of flat band strapping to tear because of sharp edges contracting the strapping. When the strapping tore, the package unit was released of any restraint and became free to shift and be damaged as explained above.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide improved lading strap retarding means which permits restrained sliding movement of the strapping to create a controlled-movement bracing arrangement for a package 2,905,107 Patented Sept. 22, 1959 2 unit load but which is devoid of sharp strap-contacting edges or surfaces.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a lading strap restraining device in the form of a plate having a slot with rounded ends therethrough through which lading-strap may be threaded. Such rounded ends being adapted to exert a camming action on any portion of the strap edge binding thereagainst so that the strap will curl but not tear.

It is another objectof my invention to provide a lading strap restraining device in the form of a flat slotted plate provided with beveled edges and depending anchoring teeth.

It is another object of my invention to provide a lading strap restraining device of the character described in the above stated object having countersunk holes therethrough for the passage of anchoring means.

This and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specifications and attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a package unit loaded according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a set of three load restraining devices of the invention installed on the floor of a carrier vehicle and having a length of lading strapping threaded therethrough;

Figure 3 is an enlarged .plan view of the load restraining device of the invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IVIV of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line VV of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the effect of a misaligned load restraining device on the lading strapping; and

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of Figure 6.

Reference numeral 2 .designatesgenerally the device of the invention which comprises a substantially fiat plate 4, which may be rectangular, as shown, or otherwise shaped in contour as desired, having beveled edges around its perimeter. Plate 4 may be made of steel or other material having suitable strength and may be fabricated by stamping, machining, forging, casting or.similar means in any size desirable.

Plate 4 is provided with a vertical, generally oblong slot 6 therethrough. The ends 8 of the slot 6 are rounded in horizontal section. It is essential that the ends 8 be rounded so as to prevent tearing or severing flat band that may bind against any slot end as will be more fully explained hereinafter. The slot 6 extends parallel with the opposed parallel side edges 10 of plate 4 but is disposed closer to one of the side edges 10 than to the other, as best shown in Figure 3. The slot 6 is substantially centered relative to the opposed end edges 12 of plate 4.

A series of spaced teeth 14 depends from the underside of plate 4 adjacent each of the end edges 12. A plurality of offset countersunk vertical holes 16 is provided adjacent each end edge 12.

In operation, when it is desired to make up a controlled-movement load unit from a package X consisting, for example, of two heavy coils of steel strip C and C, secured to wooden pallets P and P, respectively, a length of flat band lading strap S is threaded through the slots 6 of a set of three retarder plates. The three retarder plates are then secured to the floor F of the carrier vehicle in aligned spaced relation in the area on the floor where it is desired to have a package X located and braced. In applying the retarding devices to the floor of the vehicle, plates 4 are initially secured first by means of depending teeth 14 which are driven into the floor of the vehicle. Then, nails or drive screws N are driven through the the floor. The plates 4 are aligned with slots 6 in parallel relation, as shown in Figure 2.

In order to insure the maximum. braking or restraining effect of the plates 4 on the strap S, it is preferableto have one of the plates turned around so that its edge 10 which is closest to its respective slot 6 is positioned adjacent the similar edge of the next plate. The plates 4 in the set are aligned longitudinally of the freight car and the strap S is disposed lengthwise of the car.

After the strap S and plates 4 have been properly fixed in position, the two pallets bearing the coils are placed astride the midportion of strap S with the plates 4 underlying approximately the center of the two-pallet package. Frequently, depending on the size and nature of the package, in this position the runners of the pallet will contact the edges of the retarder plates. The beveled edges of the plates minimize the possibility of damage to the runners during controlled load-movement while the carrier is in transit. After the package X has been placed over the strap S, the strap is wrapped around the package in a vertical plane and spliced by means of a band seal or the like so as to provide a continuous loop (not shown). The strap S is nailed to the two sides of the package as at T so as to prevent the strap from slipping around the load and also to insure that the portion of the strap under the package will lie in a substantially horizontal plane.

Under impact against either end of the car, the package X thus secured will move longitudinally of the car but such movement will be limited and controlled by the friction exerted on strap S between the anchored plates 4 and the floor F and the deformation of the strap as it passes through the oblong slots 6 in the plates, all of which cause a braking or restraining effect on the movement of strap S and therefore on the movement of package X. The teeth 14 serve to resist forces normal to the longitudinal axis of the carrier vehicle. Frequently, these forces are suificiently strong to shear off the heads of the nails or drive screws N and thus could cause the plates 4 to become loosened if it were not for the resistance of the teeth 14. The countersunk portions of holes 16 receive the heads of the nails or drive screws N so that they are flush with the upper surface of the plate when the nails or drive screws are driven into the floor F.

Although I have shown the use of three plates 4 in a set, it will be noted that more or less than this number can be used in accordance with the size and weight of the package unit to be braced. Also, more than one set of plates 4 and strap S may be used to brace a package unit if desired.

When more than one plate 4 is used, there always exists the danger of misalignment of the plates. By providing rounded ends 8 on the slots 6, the serious danger of the strap S being cut or torn by the ends of misaligned slots is virtually eliminated. By reason of the rounded ends 8, when strap S is forced to slide in misaligned slots under impact, a camming action is created which causes a smooth curl on the edge of the strap S as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

While one embodiment of my. invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be 'made without departing from the scopeof the following claims.

I claim: a

1. In apparatus for checking the movement of a load, the combination which comprises a load-anchoring surface, a flat plate having a flat surface facing and bearing against said load-anchoring surface, said plate having a transverse slot extending therethrough intermediate the edges thereof, said slot having ends that are rounded, respectively, about parallel axes normal to said loadanchoring surface and spaced inwardly from said slot ends, and means securing said plate to said load-anchoring surface.

2. In apparatus for checking the movement of a load, the combination which comprises a flat metal strap secured to said load for relative movement therewith, a load-anchoring surface, a flat plate having a flat surface facing said load-anchoring surface, said plate having a transverse slot extending therethrough intermediate the edges thereof, said strap being threaded through the slot in said plate and frictionally clamped by said plate surface against said load-anchoring surface to check the movement of the strap over said surface, said slot having ends that are rounded, respectively, about parallel axes normal to said load-anchoring surface and spaced inwardly from said slot ends, said rounded ends being adapted to engage and curl an edge of said strap inwardly on itself upon lateral movement of said strap while moving through said slot in response to relative movement of the load over said load-anchoring surface, and means securing said plate to said load-anchoring surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,458,287 Moon I an. 4, 

